Electrical printing and educational device



May 31, 1960 J. DUMITRIU ELECTRICAL PRINTING AND EDUCATIONAL DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 13, 1959 ATTORNEYS May 31, 1960 J. DUMITRIU ELECTRICAL PRINTING AND EDUCATIONAL DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 13, 1959 INVENTOR.

JOHN DUMITRIU BY ems/Mg Gum-u ATTORNEYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. DUMITRIU ELECTRICAL PRINTING AND EDUCATIONAL DEVICE May 31, 1960 Filed Jan. 13, 1959 INVENTOR.

JOHN oum'rmu ATTORNEYS May 31, 1960 .1. DUMITRIU 2,933,616

ELECTRICAL PRINTING AND EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed Jan. 13, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

JOHN DUMITRIU Qumw g W ATTORNEYS y 1, 1960 J. DUMITRIU 2,938,616

ELECTRICAL PRINTING AND EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed Jan. 13, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 def INVENTOR.

JOHN DUMITRIU ATTORNEYS nited States Patent John Durnitriu, 806 Albert Cana Filed Jan. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 786,504

6 Claims. (Cl. 197-57) Road, Windsor, Ontario, da

This application relates to electrical printers useful for different purposes and to obtain diiferent results.

The electrical printer hereof may be manipulated for printing letters or numbers as selected from a keyboard whereby it will function as an electrical typewriter.

The device is also equipped with a dot-dash key so connected to the printing mechanism that successive manipulations of the key will print dots and dashes as selected upon the paper tape. In this way, the device may be used as a telegraph instrument, not only for sending out electrical impulses according to manipulations of the key, but also for printing dots and dashes on the paper tape.

In addition the device is equipped with means for connecting it to one or more additional telegraph instruments, the latter operating as a receiver which also prints, with the first instrument being operated as a sender.

A principal object of the present invention therefore is to provide a novel means simple in character and constructed to obtain the foregoing results. An embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the appended drawings, will now be described, as follows.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the instrument.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a view as if along arrows 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view taken along arrows 4-4'of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on arrows 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view taken on arrows 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of a part of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a schematic electrical diagram.

The device shown comprises a box 10 having an open top normally closed by a removable but normally closed cover 11.

THE SELECTION MEANS Longitudinally extending along the front wall of the box 10 is an endless chain 14 passing over sprockets 15 and 16. The sprocket 16 is mounted on a shaft 17, hav- 'ing a bevel gear 18 meshing with another bevel gear 19. Gear 19 is keyed to a hollow outside shaft 21 which extends longitudinally of the box. The left end of said shaft is keyed to a spool 22 cooperating with another spool 23 to mount an endless rubber belt 24 which extends transversely ofthe box.

Belt 24 has raised characters on its inside surface 25 (see Fig. 6, for example) which correspond to the characters indicated on a longitudinally extending keyboard 26 (see Fig. 1) along which may be longitudinallymoved a selector or slider 27 fixed to a link of the chain 14. Movement of the slider longitudinally, to select any desired point on the keyboard 26, moves the chain 14 longitudinally to rotate the shaft 17, the gears 18-19, shaft 21, spool 22, and thus, belt 24. This positions a selected character formed on such belt at a printing point, in accordance with the selection established by the positioniiig' of the slider 27 with respect to the keyboard 26.

2,938,616 Patented May 31, 1960 2 THE PRINTING MEANS Immediately below the under surface of the top part of belt 24 is a paper tape 30 which comes off a spool 31 upon which it is rolled. It moves longitudinally, beneath the belt 24, with its free end 32 emerging through an opening 33 in the cover 11 whereby characters printed on the paper tape may be observed at the free and emerging end of the tape.

The means for printing a selected character of belt 24 onto the tape 30 will now be described. It consists, first, of an operating bar 41 which closes an electrical circuit through contacts 42 in a manner that will be described later. The closing of the circuit by the operating bar energizes a hammer actuating solenoid 43 having a plunger in the form of a rod 44 whose upper end is connected at 45 to a hammer or lever 46. This hammer is pivotally mounted at 47. It is formed with a hammer end 40 adapted to strike the belt 24 and thus cause a selected character of such belt to print on the paper tape 30 beneath it. The tape rests upon a platen 51 equipped with a belt inking roller 52. The roller is pre-inked and it contacts and thereby inks the belt.

A locating pin 53 of the hammer lever 46 cooperates with a hole 54 of the belt for keying the harnmer and the belt to each other during the printing operation.

The printing operation takes place when operating bar 41 is moved downwardly to close the contact 42, whereupon the energized solenoid 43 will push up on rod 44 to rock hammer lever 46 clockwise in Fig. 4 and thus cause hammer 40 to strike the belt 24 and print a selected character on the tape 30 against the platen 51.

Release of the hammer, accompanying release of pressure on the operating bar 41, permits a coil spring 57 to pull down on rod 44, which lifts hammer 40 from the belt 24, and restores the hammer to idle position ready for a next printing operation accompanying a next downward movement of operating bar 41.

The release or downward movement of rod 44 causes a pawl 61 of lever 46 to move a ratchet 62 step by step. This ratchet is operatively connected to a paper feed roller immediately behind it in position to engage the paper tape 30 and move it to the right longitudinally (as in Fig. 4), step by step in accordance with step by step movement of the hammer.

Except for the electrical circuitry, the foregoing comprises a complete mechanism for selecting a character from keyboard 26, printing it on the paper tape 39, releasing the printing mechanism and moving the paper tape forwardly one space to present its next space to the printing hammer, then to be printed on the next manipulation of the operating bar 41, with the selection of the character to be printed being caused by longitudinal movement of the selector 27 along the keyboard 26, and through the action of the sprocket chain 14, the shaft 17, the gears 18-19 and the shaft 21, moving the belt transversely across the paper tape 30 for selection of a character to be printed.

DOT DASH PRINTING Mounted in the cover 11 is a key in the form of a rocker switch which operates through a circuit later to be described in detail for energizing a solenoid 81. The plunger 82, of this solenoid, is connected to a lever 83 adapted to be connected to a pin 84 which is mounted on a lever 85. The lever 85 is carried by a shaft 86, which is positioned inside shaft 21, and projects through a slot 87 of the shaft 21 (see-Fig. 2 The slot is longer than lever 85 so that this lever may he slid a short distance axially of shaft 21, by axially sliding shaft 86. Thus the pin 84 may be slid into or out of a slot in lever- 83, as will be described later. However, the slot 87 is only as wide as the lever '85- so that rocking the lever 85 rocks the shafts 86 and 21 together about their axes.

Key 80 is intended to print dots and dashes only and has only two positions for this purpose. The rocking action of this key and the up and down movement of solenoid 81 act through the inside shaft 86 and .the out side shaft 21 on spool 22 causing the spool and the belt 24 to move back and forth one space only from a neutral position, for example, a space forward for dot or dash as the case may be'and a space backward for dash or dot as the case may be. The'belt is equipped with dot and dash characters at a suitable space and thus ,there' can be printed, by the use of the previously described mechai in mp ng mm r 6 an 'ha c 4 a d t 9 sh depend on t 's l t o tabli h y the manipulation of key 80.

The key 80 and coil 81 as well as shaft 86 and the parts which connect shaft 86 to the plunger ,82 of coil 81, name: ly parts 83, 84 and 85, provide an alternate arrangement for shifting the belt, that is, alternate to the arrangement employing the selector 27, sprocket chain 14, shaft 17, and gears 18, 19.

When the key 80 is to. be used for shifting the belt for dot dash operation, then the belt 24 and spool 22 are disengaged from the selector 27 and this is accomplished by the movement of a knob 89 secured on the end of shaft 86 to the right (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) whereby a key 91 on such shaft 86 will disengageitself from a notch formed in the hub of bevel gear 19. Consequently, the shaft 21 is no longer operatively connected to gear 19 but is manipulable only by means of the key. 80 and the parts 8 1838485 and shaft 86. On the other hand, when the knob 89 is moved to the left again to key the gear 19 to the outer shaft 21, then such latter shaft is responsive to the movement of the selector 2,7,

and thus once again, the belt 24 is shifted in accordance with the sliding of the selector 27 along the keyboard 26. The movement of knob 89 to the right for disengaging shaft 21 from gear 19 also causes the lever 85 and pin 84 to move to the right so that the pin enters a slot 90 formed in solenoid plunger lever 83, thereby interconnecting the shaft 86 with the solenoid plunger 82. Hence, when the shaft 21 is disengaged from gear 19 it is simultaneously connected to the plunger 82 of solenoid 81. Conversely when the knob 89 is pushed to the left to re-establish an operative connection between the shaft 21 and the gear 19, the shaft 21 simultaneously is disengaged from any'operative connection with the solenoid 81'.

Before switching the machine from selector operation through selector 27 to key operation through key 80, it is necessary to position the belt in a neutral position and this is done by moving the selector 27 to a blank space 92 near the right end .of the keyboard 26 which is a neutral position between a dot character and a dash character on the belt. With the belt positioned in such neutral position, then the key may be manipulated to move the belt one space forward for dot or dash as the case may be, or one space backward from the neutral position for dash or dot as the case may be,

in this way, it can be seen that the movement of the belt 24 for selection of a character to be printed on the paper tape 30 may be either under the control of the selector 27 on the keyboard 26 orof the dot-dash key 80, but not both simultaneously. In either case, whether the belt position is determined by manipulation of selector 27 or by manipulation of the key 80, the operating bar 41 is used for printingand likewise for shifting the paper tape one step or one space for each manipulation of the ba .1- e

CIRCUITRY The electrical circuit includes certain additional parts, not previously described, as follows: dry cell batteries 101; lamp 102 having a socket 103, a buzzer 104, a jack and receptacle 105 and a master switch 106. The batteries 101furnish the electrical power for operation of the device. Lamp 102 and buzzer 104 light and buzz respec= tively in response to the dot-dash operation of key 80. Jack 105 enables another device to be connected to the instant device to provide two or more stations of a telegraph system.

(1) Dash operationby key 80 through the contacts 111 and 112 to complete a circuit through lamp 102 and buzzer coil 104. At the same time, the coil 81 is energized.

' When coil 81 is energized, its plunger 82 moves, and through the pin connection 84, rocks shafts 86 and 21 to thereby rock spools 22 and 23 and position the belt 24 in its dash printing position. Further movement of the plunger 82 causes a contact 114 secured to the plunger to close against contact points 115. This closing contact then energizes the printing coil 43 to cause a hammer 46 to strike the belt and thereby print a dash on the paper tape 30.. When the hammer rises upon de-energization of its coil 43, the tape is advanced one step.

Simultaneously, current is transmitted to connection points d and e of the jack 105 to thereby energize the coil "81 on the receiving set, if there is a receiving set plugged in.

( For d pera ion Key is moved to the left (in Fig. 8) to thereby move contact 112 into its down or b position and contact 111 upwards into its a position. Again, a circuit is completed from the batteries 101 to energize the lamp 102 and the buzzer coil 104. Simultaneously, the coil 81 is also energized, but in the reverse direction, to thereby move its plunger 82 and cause the shafts 21 and 86 to rock the spools 22 and 23 and the rubber belt 24 into its dash printing position, Further movement of the plunger 82 closes a second contact secured to it, namely co'ntact 116, against contact point 117. This closes the circuit to printing coil 43 and therefore, through plunger 44, the hammer 46 is again operated to print a dash by pressing against a belt 24 and pressing the dot position against the tape '30. When the hammer returns to its normal position, its pawl 61 moves the ratchet 62 to thereby advance the tape one step.

Also, at the same time, lines leading to connection points d and e of jackare again energized to again cause the coil 81 on the receiving set to be energized and thereby operate the receiving set.

When it is desired to produce a space position on the tape, namely where no dot or no dash is printed, the user presses down upon the bar 41 to close-contacts 42. Thus, without moving key 80, the printing coil 43 is energized to cause the hammer to strike the belt. However, the belt is in itsneutral or blank position so that nothing is printed upon the tape, but upon return of the hammer .to its normal position, the ratchet 61 and pawl 62 cause the paper tape 30 to advance a position with no printing. When the bar 41 is depressed, it also closes a circuit to connection p n 1 o jack 1 which op rat s the-m 43 of the receiving set and causes a space to appear on the tape of the receiving set.

It will be observed that in a very convenient arrange? ment, there has been provided an electrically operating character printing machine which can be operated for printingof characters selected from a keyboard or, if desired, forprinting of dots and dashes as controlled by a dot and dash key,'with the printing bein IQCOrdecl on a paper tape in accordance with selections of characcase, or by dot and dash movements of the key, in the other.

It will also be observed that the arrangement shown is compact and simple with the mechanical parts and major assemblies comprising the following assembly: the sprocket chain 14, positioned parallel to the keyboard 26 and to the belt moving shaft 21-86 and the paper tape 30, with the character belt 24 being transverse of the paper tape and of the operating shaft 21-86.

Now having described the device herein disclosed, reference should be had to the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A printing and telegraph machine comprising a keyboard of characters, a manually co'ntrolled key for selecting a character from such keyboard, a belt having characters thereon, means operatively connecting the selecting key to the belt for translating a determined movement of the selecting key into a corresponding movement of the belt, a paper tape, a printing hammer for printing a selected character of the belt onto such tape, a printing circuit including a printing solenoid for actuating said printing hammer, a switch for such printing circuit, means for moving the tape space by space across the belt, a belt moving circuit including a solenoid and a double throw key switch, means for operatively connecting the belt moving solenoid to the belt for translating solenoid action into belt movement, with such belt moving circuit and its parts being so arranged that movement of the key forwardly causes the belt to move forwardly one step, and reverse movement of the key causes the belt to move in reverse one step, and means operatively connecting the printing hammer and the tape moving means for translating release of the hammer after a printing movement thereof into feed of the tape one space.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the tape and the keyboard and the paths of movement of the selecting key and the tape are all parallel and extend longitudinally and wherein the belt and its path of movement extend transversely,

3. A combination according to claim 2 wherein the 40 means for operatively connecting the selecting key and the belt include a longitudinally extending chain and a longitudinally extending shaft.

4. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for operatively connecting the selecting key to the belt and the means for operatively connecting the belt moving solenoid to the belt both include a common element, and there is a manual clutch for placing the belt under the control of either the selecting key or the belt moving solenoid, but not both simultaneously.

5. A printing and telegraph machine comprising a printing means for printing indicia on a tape and a selector means for selecting the indicia to be printed, said selector means comprising a key, an electrical switch, and a solenoid, the latter having a plunger movable in either of two directions, said key being connected with said electrical switch, the latter being in turn electrically connected to said solenoid in such a manner that movement of the key in one direction moves the solenoid plunger in one direction and a vice versa, said solenoid plunger being mechanically connected to the printing means for adjusting the printing means to print either a dot or dash depending upon which direction the plunger is moved, additional electrical switches, said plunger also connecting with said additional electrical switches at each of its ends when the plunger is moved towards that end i past the point where the plunger movement adjusts the printing means to either of its two printing positions, a hammer operating solenoid, the additional electrical switches being electrically connected to said hammer operating solenoid, and a hammer actuated by said hammer operating solenoid to cause the selected indicia to be printed upon the tape when either of the two additional switches is closed.

6. A construction as defined in claim 5 and including a space bar means, a tape, a separate electrical switch operated manually by said space bar means for actuating the hammer independently of the plunger, and mechanical means connected with the hammer for advancing said tape, upon which the indicia is printed, a step at a time after each movement of the hammer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 449,923 Youngs Apr. 7, 1891 2,157,108 Bell May 9, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 509,940 Germany Nov. 5, 1931 

